Solid form compositions for treating natural bodies of water

ABSTRACT

Solid form compositions for the treatment of natural bodies of water comprising 
     A) a quantity of beneficial aerobic microorganisms that will control at least one of an organic pollutant, an algae, and a weed in at least a portion of said body of water; and 
     B) a growth accelerator for component A); wherein the solid form composition weighs at least about 85 grams.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to solid form compositions for the treatment ofnatural bodies of water to control organic pollutants, algae, and/orweeds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Products are available commercially for the treatment of natural bodiesof water to control organic pollutants and/or algae therein. Suchcommercial products are usually based on copper sulfate, or other heavymetal salts, which in turn results in heavy metal contamination of thewater.

There is one product on the market known as Organica ^(R) PondClarifier, manufactured by Organica Inc. of Norristown, Pa., which issold in either liquid or water-soluble small particulate sold form. Thisis a product containing active microbes that preemptively digest thefood source in lakes and ponds that supports algae and weed growth.However, while an excellent product, being both biodegradable andnon-toxic, this product is not very useful in rivers, streams and othermoving bodies of water, including stream fed or spring fed lakes orponds with outlets, since the dissolved product tends to remain in andmove with the water to which it has been added. In addition, even inrelatively still bodies of water, the uniform application of thisproduct to bodies of water having large surface areas and/or relativelydeep sections is very difficult.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Other than in the operating examples, or where otherwise indicated, allnumbers expressing quantities of ingredients or reaction conditions usedherein are to be understood as modified in all instances by the term"about".

There has now been discovered a solid form composition that over-comesall of the above drawbacks to the use of the above commercial watertreatment compositions.

The solid form compositions of the invention contain

A) an effective quantity of beneficial aerobic microorganisms that willcontrol one or more of algae, weeds, and organic pollutants; and

B) an effective quantity of growth accelerators for the component A)microorganisms; wherein the solid form composition weighs at least 85grams.

The relative quanitites of components A) and B) in the compositions ofthe invention are dependent in part on the quantity of microrganismsselected for component A). Preferably, component A) will consist of from1×10³ to 1×10⁹ microorganisms per gram of the solid form composition andmore preferably from 1×10⁴ to 1×10⁸ microorganisms per gram of thecomposition. Any quantity of component B) can be present that willeffectively accelerate the growth of the microorganisms in component A)when the solid form composition is added to a natural body of water.

Microorganisms that can be used as component A) can be any beneficialaerobic microbial organism or combination of organisms known to controlalgae, weeds, and/or organic pollutants, and which can survive andfunction in the aqueous medium provided by natural bodies of water. Suchmicroorganisms include one or more of the following bacteria:

Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus coagulans

Bacillus sphericus

Bacillus megaterium

Bacillus licheniformis

Bacillus thurirgensis

Bacillus steareothermophilus

Bacillus polymyxa

Bacillus cereus

Bacillus globigi

Bacillus halodurans

Bacillus azotofixans

Bacillus azotoformans

Azotobacter sp.

Pseudomonas flourescens

Pseudomonas aureofaciens

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Arthrobacter sp.

Flavobacterium sp.

Streptomyces sp.

In addition to bacteria, fungi and viruses can be also used, such asAspergillus sp., Trichoderma sp and/or other beneficial filamentousfungi.

All of the above microorganisms are well known and are readily availablefrom public depositories including ATCC and NRRL.

By the term "control" used herein is meant the elimination or reductionin the quantity of the target contaminant, i.e. algae, weeds, and/ororganic pollutants. Algae and weeds are controlled by the preemptivedigestion of their food sources. The term "natural bodies of water"includes outdoor bodies of water such as, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams,and brooks, whether naturally occurring or man made, but does notinclude treatment ponds and tanks for contaminated water from commercialoperations such as chemical plants, sewage treatment facilities, and thelike.

The organic pollutants that can be controlled by the solid compositionsof the invention, which will also result in controlling weeds and algae,if present, include organic plant residues and toxic organic pollutantse.g. pesticides, hydro-carbons, and the like.

The component B) growth accelerators are organic and inorganic compoundsthat accelerate the growth and reproduction of the component A)microorganisms. Such growth accelerators include carbon sources such asdextrose, sucrose, molassess, and the like, combined carbon and nitrogensources such as soy proteins, milk amino acids, yeast extracts, and thelike; trace elements such as trace metals; and vitamins. In addition,some of the binders and other components used to prepare the finishedsolid forms may also serve as growth accelerators for the component A)microorganisms.

The solid compositions of the invention are formed by combiningcomponents A) and B) into solid forms of the desired shape and weight,i.e. having a weight of at least 85 grams, and preferably from 170 gramsto 1.5 kilograms or more. The solid form compositions can be prepared bycompression or by the use of suitable molds, preferably using watersoluble or dispersible binders that are compatible with the component A)microorganism. Suitable binders include starch (e.g. corn starch),gelatin, sugars such as sucrose, glucose, dextrose, molasses andlactose, and natural and synthetic gums such as acacia, sodium alginate,extract of Irish moss, panwar gum ghati gum, mucilage of isapol husks,carboxmethyl-celluose, methylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, Veegum^(R)and larch arabogalacian. The binders may be present in from 1 to 95% bywieght of the solid composition.

The solid form compositions can be prepared using water as a granulatingagent with e.g., pregelatinized starch as a binder. A direct compressionmethod using dry components can also be used, with a binder such asmicrocrystalline cellulose, microcrystalline dextrose, amylose,orpolyvinylpyrrolidone.

In addition to binders, other optional ingredients may also be present,such as lubricants, e.g. sodium benzoate, leucine, magnesium laurylsulfate, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, stearic acid,hydrogenated vegetable oils and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Lubricantscan be used in from 0.1 to 5% by weight of the composition. One or moredisintegrants can also be present such as croscarmelose, crospovidoneand sodium starch glycolate, used in from 2% to 4% by weight of thecomposition. Other optional components include fillers and coloringagents.

Where the microorganisms of component A) are sensitive to light or airor to optional added components, the microorganisms can be separatelyencapsulated in water soluble coatings, e.g., dyed or undyed gelatinspheres or capsules, or by microencapsulation to a free flowing powderusing one or more of gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylcellulose,cellulose acetate phthalate, or sytrene maleic anhydride. The separatelyencapsulated microrganisms can then be mixed with the component B)growth accelerators and any optional components. However, encapsulationpreferably includes both components A) and B). The resulting capsulescan then be mixed with one or more optional components such as bindersand formed into the desired solid compositions.

The solid form compositions of the invention can be made in any desiredshape such as a golf ball shape, a brick shape, a donut shape, acylinder, a square, a fish shape, a large golf tee, a large tablet, andthe like.

EXAMPLES Example 1

About 1×10⁵ spore forms of each of the following Bacillus species: B.licheniformis, B. subtilis, B. sphericus , B. megaterium and B.thurirgensis, per gram of solid composition, are mixed with 90% byweight of microcrystalline amylose, 4% by weight of leucine, 3% byweight of sodium starch glycolate, 1% by weight of glucose, 1% by weightof yeast extract, 0.5% by weight of starch, and 0.5% by weight of soypeptone, and compressed dry in a golf ball shaped mold to produce a golfball-shaped solid composition weighing about 250 grams.

Example 2

About 1×10⁶ spore forms of: Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomycescerevisiae, and about 1×10⁶ microencapsulated Pseudomonas flourescensmicroorganisms, per gram of solid composition, are mixed with 83% byweight of pregelatinized starch, 5% by weight of water as a granulatingagent, 4.5% sodium benzoate, 4% by weight of crospovidone, 1% by weightof destrose, 1.5% by weight of milk amino acids, and 1% by weight of soypeptone, and compressed in a brick-shaped mold to form a brick-shapedsolid composition weighing about 500 grams.

What is claimed is:
 1. A solid form composition for the treatment of anatural body of water comprisingA) a quantity of beneficial aerobicmicroorganisms that will control at least one of an organic pollutant,an algae, and a weed in at least a portion of said body of water; and B)a growth accelerating quantity of a growth accelerator for component A);wherein component A) is separately encapsulated inside water solublecoatings or in the form of microcapsules, or wherein both components A)and B) are encapsulated together inside water soluble coatings or arepresent together in the form of microcapsules.
 2. The solid formcomposition of claim 1 which also contains a water soluble or waterdispersible binder.
 3. The solid form composition of claim 1 whereinfrom 1×10³ to 1×10⁹ microorganisms per gram are present in component A).4. The solid form composition of claim 1 wherein the microorganisms incomponent A) are at least one of the following:Bacillus subtilisBacillus coagulans Bacillus sphericus Bacillus megaterium Bacilluslicheniformis Bacillus thurirgensis Bacillus steareothermophilusBacillus polymyxa Bacillus cereus Bacillus globibi Bacillus haloduransBacillus azotofixans Bacillus azotoformans Azotobacter sp. Pseudomonasflourescens Pseudomonas aureofaciens Saccaromyces cercvisiaeArthrobacter sp. Flavobacterium sp. Streptomyces sp. Aspergillus sp. andTrichoderma sp.
 5. The solid form composition of claim 1 wherein thecomposition is in the shape of a golf ball.
 6. The solid formcomposition of claim 1 wherein the composition is in the shape of abrick.
 7. The solid form composition of claim 1 wherein the compositionis in the shape of a donut.
 8. The solid form composition of claim 1wherein the composition is in the shape of a fish. is in the shape of afish.
 9. The solid form composition of claim 1 wherein the compositionis in the shape of a large golf tee.
 10. The solid form composition ofclaim 1 wherein component A) controls at least one of an organic plantresidue, an algae, and a weed.
 11. The solid form composition of claim 1wherein component B) is at least one source of carbon and nitrogen. 12.The solid form composition of claim 1 wherein component B) contains atleast one carbon source and at least one nitrogen source selected fromthe group consisting of dextrose, sucrose, molasses, soy proteins, milkamino acids, and a yeast extract.
 13. The solid form composition ofclaim 12 wherein component B) also contains at least one vitamin. 14.The solid form composition of claim 13 wherein component B) alsocontains at least one trace element.
 15. The solid form composition ofclaim 3 wherein from 1×10⁴ to 1×10⁸ microorganisms per gram are presentin component A).
 16. A method controlling at least one of an organicpollutant, an algae, and a weed in a natural body of water comprisingadding to said body of water at least one solid form composition ofclaim
 1. 17. The method of claim 12 wherein the method controls at leastone of an organic plant residue, an algae, and a weed.
 18. The solidform composition of claim 1 wherein the organic pollutant is an organicplant residue or a pesticide.
 19. The solid form composition of claim 1wherein the solid form composition weighs at least about 85 grams. 20.The solid form composition of claim 1 wherein the solid form compositionweighs at least about 170 grams.